Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Three Amigos have full plate on last day of Summit

This is from CBC. As the article shows this summit enables 30 key corporate bigwigs to meet with and advise the three leaders. This is just another sign of who counts most when it comes to policy. There is no citizen input on the issues. Where are all the protesters?

Three Amigos have full plate on last day of summitLast Updated: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:41 AM ET Issues of border security and trade are expected to dominate the second day of the Three Amigos summit Tuesday in New Orleans as talks resume between the North American leaders.Details of the two-day summit will be made public during a joint news conference in the afternoon attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.After breakfast, the three leaders will meet privately with the North American Competitiveness Council — 30 private-sector representatives, or 10 from each country, who make recommendations on issues ranging from border security to trade."This is what the anti-globalization [protesters] say is what's wrong with this meeting," CBC's Keith Boag said. "It takes place in secret … and it addresses only the agenda, in their view, of the corporate interests. It doesn't address the agenda of civil society."Talks will be attended by members of Harper's cabinet including Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Industry Minister Jim Prentice.Boag said that of the possible announcements that could come from the meeting, anything about the Windsor, Ont.-Detroit border would be the most important to Canadians.U.S. officials have hinted at a possible announcement about improving the border crossing, a four-lane bridge built in 1929 that handles one-quarter of all Canada-U.S. trade."There's been a lot of talks over many years about how to speed up traffic across that crossing. There may be something big to announce on that today," Boag said.Lots of oil, auto talk expectedTom d'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives who is also attending the summit, said border delays are a large worry for Canada's business community."Perhaps it means some deterred investment, and we're deeply concerned about that."Other issues that were expected to dominate the New Orleans agenda include oil, Cuban and Venezuelan leadership, carbon sequestration and food testing. The U.S., meanwhile, has said it will push for common regulations in the auto sector, including rules about fuel efficiency.